In the Image of Christ

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What do you expect out of a vesper service? You know, it comes from the German whisper, and they would pronounce the W with a V. Vispa. That’s where the word vesper comes from, and it is intended to be a devotional service. You spend a lot of time today on a lot of the intellectual aspects of the truth.

We have not ignored at all the application to our Christian living, to our consecrated lives, but we’d like to focus on that today.

As was mentioned, the service is entitled in the image of Christ.

You know, back during the vesper services of New Brunswick, and I know many of you have been to New Brunswick through the years, they had a different name for their vesper service. They called it where prayer was wont to be made. You recognize where that expression is from? Well, in Acts, chapter 16. Let me read verses 12 through 13.

And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city in that part of Macedonia and a colony, and we were in that city abiding certain days, and on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a riverside where prayer was wont to be made, and we sat down and spake unto the women which resorted thither. The place sounds beautiful, does it not? I’m sure you can recall serene minutes or hours spent by a river, perhaps feeling the cool and gentle breezes off the water on your face. Such a pastoral location would be quite conducive to reflection and meditation.

And no doubt it was the very reason why it drew people of faith there to pray of this restful place. Brother Russell made the following observation. This is from reprint 2176. In Macedonia, by the Spirit’s leading, they went first to one of the principal cities, Philippi, and there, on the Jewish Sabbath, they found by the riverside a prayer meeting. The women who were attending it were probably all Jewesses.

And the apostle concluded that those who were seeking the Lord in worship and in prayer would be in the best condition of heart to be approached with the gospel. A judgment which experienced, since in every land endorses as correct Paul’s discourse concerning the hopes of Israel, and the fulfillment of these in Jesus the Messiah, and the story of the crucifixion for our sins found lodgment in the hearts of some who heard it. This was the start of the church at that city to which Paul later wrote the epistle to the Philippians. That’s a Genesis story, isn’t it? We won’t take the time because we got a lot of readings tonight.

We’ve got a lot of Poetry. Tonight we’re going to sing a lot of hymns. For those of you that know a few camp songs. We’re going to have some camp songs as well.

Before leaving this beautiful place where prayer was wont to be made. I do also recommend volume six, page 288, where brother Russell discusses it a little bit more. Our theme tonight is taken from Romans 8:29, for whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. As I said, we would like to conclude our convention today with the spirit of prayer and a reflection on what that means to put on the. The image of Christ.

You know, Brother Russell made mention there prayer meetings. I think very few Ecclesiastes have prayer meetings these days. But the strength that can be derived from a prayer meeting is significant. I remember talking with some brethren in Grand Rapids, in fact, who on one evening where the brother’s son’s life may have been at stake, the brethren spent the evening in prayer in his living room, and it was remarkably, remarkably comforting.

And it ended up pretty good that night as well. Brother Tim can probably give details of that. Let’s begin by singing together hymn number 143, A Place of Prayer. Some of these hymns I have words for, some I don’t. So keep your cell phones or your hymn books handy for that.

Hymn number 143, the place of Prayer, Navy. Where.

Lay down and hollow ground those within.

Touch ground.

And.

Hope.

And my care.

Our first reading tonight is somewhat like a prayer. It’s entitled Prayer of the Consecrated. It’s a poem and it’s going to be read by Sister Ellie Rasmus and Sister Ellie. If you raise your hand so that.

Prayer of the consecrated. We seek not, Lord, for tongues of flame or healing’s virtues mystic aid but power thy gospel to proclaim the balm for wounds that sin hath made breathe on us. Lord, thy radiance pour on all the wonders of the page where hidden lies the heavenly roar that blessed our youth and guides our age. Grant skill, each sacred thing to trace with loving voice and glowing tongues as when upon by words of grace the wondering crowds enraptured hum Grant faith that treads the stormy deep if but thy voice shall bid it come and zeal that climbs the mountain steep to seek and bring the wanderer home Give strength, blessed Savior, in thy might Illuminate our hearts and we transformed into thy image Bright shall teach and love and live on might be. Thank you, Sister Ellie, incidentally, for those of you that may want the handout, we’ve had just a few that we passed out, but if you would like a PDF of it, just write me and I would make it available to you.

Romans 8:29 states in simple terms the truth that the church was ordained to become duplicates of Jesus.

Now we say that what is God’s will for us to be sanctified? That’s what this means, to be made a duplicate of Jesus Christ. It’s God’s will for you, and it’s God’s work in you. He is training you. He is schooling you.

He is teaching you to be more like Jesus. Will you submit to it? We cannot make our calling and election sure. Without becoming Christlike. Let’s Sing together Hymn number 95.

More Christlike.

I found therapy lo.

Sa.

Son, if we submit to his training. But this clearly means that we must sacrifice every earthly advantage in order to win Christ, and that’s seldom an easy thing to do. But trust in the Lord and keeping before our minds certain principles will help. For example, the principle found in First Corinthians, chapter 1031, whether, therefore, you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all things for the glory of God.

We’re going to have Brother Dan Beard read our reading. Number two, do all things for the glory of God.

Do all things for God’s glory. There was a story told about a man who had come into the truth who loved to smoke cigars. He did not feel that habit was contrary to a consecrated life and did not like the suggestions from others that he quit. After a time, an opportunity came up for the brother to approach Brother Russell about the issue. He said he had not read in the Bible where cigar smoking was a sin and asked if he had the Christian freedom to continue the habit.

Brother Russell thought for a moment and said to him that if he could glorify God by smoking cigars, and he said, by all means, continue. In a short time, the brother gave up the habit. First Corinthians 10:31. Whether, therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

I love the balance that our pastor had. You know, here was a tough question. He handled it with such elegance, such scripturality, still giving the brother all the liberty and freedom to make his own choice. But he placed online what the principle was. If you can do it to God’s glory, continue.

And the brother was able to see that it was not.

Brethren, what are you willing to give up for God’s glory? I don’t think we have any cigar smokers here. But what do you have that you could give up for the glory of God? It’s not a question that anyone else can answer except yourself. Let’s continue with another hymn, hymn number 105, satisfied with thy likeness.

One.

Sa.

The arms of my Father.

Achieving the image and light to a very high standard of character holiness. For example, when teaching the disciples about the love that Jesus said that they had to have in Matthew chapter 5:44, he said, but I say unto you, love your enemies. Bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you. If we put on the image of Christ, we must truly love those who hate us. We must cultivate this godlike characteristic and we must inspire our brethren to do likewise, even if it means forfeiting our life.

It has already happened. Listen to the following story. This is reading number three that Sister Kathy Beard will read for us.

Love your enemies. In the 16th century it was a sin punishable by death to avow and a baptism. These brethren discovered in Scripture that baptism could only be administered to discipline, and that ruled out infant baptism. Administered disciples and that ruled out infant baptism.

This brought the wrath of the papal church upon them. It so happened that an anti Baptist had been discovered and was being pursued by a Papist. As the Anabaptist brother was fleeing for his life, he crossed a frozen lake. His enemy was close on his track. But as the Papist ran across the lake, he stepped through the ice and fell into the freezing water.

His screams for help did not fall on deaf ears. The Anabaptist brother turned around, made his way back to the terror stricken Papist. The brother helped his enemy out of the deadly water, but in so doing was apprehended and later executed for his beliefs.

Love that inspired that, that brother, that Anabaptist brother, to go back to an enemy that was chasing him, to slay him. We don’t know what the brother thought of his enemy’s future hopes. But it is clear that those who understand God’s plan for mankind are enabled by that knowledge to manifest them in themselves. The same kind of love when he reads from the pastor’s words. This is from reprint 39, 33.

He wrote there, as we grow in grace and knowledge, we are more clearly able, day by day, year by year, to appreciate the fact that the whole world was born under sin, and our children of wrath, blinded by ignorance and superstition, mentally and physically unbalanced through the fall, and are really in a terrible state, as the apostle declares a groaning creation. In proportion as we are able to take God’s standpoint in looking at the poor fallen world, we are able to sympathize with them, even as the Scriptures declare that God looked down and beheld the groans of the prisoners, prisoners of sin in captivity to death, going down to the womb. Psalm 102, 1920. We realize that they were born in sin shapen in iniquity, and in sin their mothers conceived them.

Then, in addition to this, their associations with evil have tended to drag them downward, and that furthermore, Satan, the great adversary, a wily foe to our race, is continually exerting his powers to blind the minds of their understanding and misrepresent the divine character and plan. With all this before our minds, what sympathy it gives us for our brothers according to the flesh. Sinners, strangers, aliens, foreigners, yet redeemed by the blood of Christ, and in God’s gracious plan and root for those glorious blessings of the millennial age. We say to ourselves, if God loved these, if Christ died for them as well as for us, why should we not be very merciful, very compassionate, very sympathetic with them, and do all in our power to assist them out of darkness, into God’s marvelous light, out of the ways of sin and into the ways of righteousness, out of the bondage to Satan, and into the liberty wherewith God has made us free.

The liberty of the sons of God which he has promised shall be available to all peoples, kindreds, nations and tongues in the sweet by and by. What a beautiful expression of our pastor of the perspective we must take of the fallen world. Even if they’re trying to kill us, we’d like to ask now a prayer be voiced to the effect that we might be given a clear vision of the kingdom joys for all mankind, that we might be motivated and inspired in our consecration by that vision. We’ve asked Brother Tim to offer a prayer for us along those lines.

Our kinder heavenly Father, hallowed be thy most holy and precious name. Humbly and gratefully again we come before you once again in convention with those of like precious faith, as one body, to study thy word and to better appreciate thy plans and purposes and just enjoy the fellowship of each other. At this time during this service, this vesper service, we ask for you to give us wisdom today. Grant us the discernment to deeply understand your word and the clarity to see your will in our lives each and every day. Give us the Humility to apply this wisdom properly and help us to make our footsteps move properly in the right direction in accordance with Thy will, shaping us, nurturing us, helping us to build our character, and also especially that we might encourage one another in these days.

We’re so very grateful for all the gifts that you have given to us, but especially the gift of thy son. We ask all these things in name of Thy son, Jesus Christ. Amen. Thank you, Brother Tim. Thank you very much.

How many of you familiar with the camp songs that the young people have been using for Got a few hands there? We’re going to sing a camp song right now based upon Isaiah, chapter 35, and, Lord willing, we have an electronic version of this.

I see the time when the eyes of the pine shall be open.

And I see the time when the ears of the dead shall be on heart and I see the time when the la.

Me.

The desert shall rejoice and blossom as the road it shall blossom no light shall be there no one to enter harm no heart cause to fear and spring shall nurture for the words of life to holy, Holy you.

I see a day when a highway shut in their way this morning.

And I hear the time of people walking out their way Find such joy and these shall be called the way of holiness A way of peace all the way will open wide. I will see him inside of every heart.

Love.

My favorite camp song. I just. I just love that song so very much. It’s inspiring.

Since we’ve consecrated our all to God, we must keep checking. Remember the check part of what Tim said. Keep checking to ensure that we are yielding to him what we’ve promised. Paul reminds us of this in Romans, chapter 6, verse 13. He says, but yield yourselves unto God as those who are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of.

Of righteousness unto God. Our next reading is a story of full submission, and brother Tim Cooper is going to read that for us.

One day, a stranger wandered through the streets of Stratford, England. As he neared the cathedral and heard beautiful strains of music coming from the building. He made his way into the cathedral and took a seat near the rear of the sanctuary. He was strangely attracted and enchanted by the strains of music coming from the wonderful organ. After some time, he walked up the long aisle, climbed the steep staircase leading into the choir loft, and edged his way through the seats to take his position near the organ console.

He stood there for a moment or two. Then the old organist who was seated before the consul, looked at him and asked, what do you want?

Please, sir, replied the stranger, I should like to play your organ. I was attracted by the delightful tone of your organ and would appreciate the privilege of playing upon it. No. Snapped the old organist. This is my instrument, and no one else ever plays on it.

But the stranger entreated. Finally, the old organist slipped out from the seat before the console, and the stranger took his place. As the organist sat nearby, he heard strange combinations and tones coming from his organ. He was thrilled. After a few moments, he realized that the music being played was a composition which he had labored long in his attempt to master it.

Tears began to run down his cheeks. Finally the stranger stopped playing and looked around at the old organist, who said, you must have rehearsed that number for long months to have mastered it as you have. I have been working on it for weeks, and I do not feel that I’ve even begun to approach mastering it.

Yes, said the stranger, seated at the organ. You see, I love is one of my own.

The eyes of the old organist search the stranger’s face. Are you Mendelssohn? He asked in amazement. Yes, that is my name, replied the stranger, and to think that I almost denied the Master the privilege of playing upon my organ, said the old organist.

The master musician is able to produce a divine and heavenly music that will enchant and thrill, but only as the counsel of your life is surrendered to the Lord Jesus. He can thrill and strangely draw to him.

Tim, have you surrendered your organ to Jesus to make beautiful music on it?

Our next reading is a poem entitled Lord, Here I Bring Myself, and Sister Sarah Malinowski is going to read that for us.

Lord, here I bring myself Lord, here I bring myself Till tis all I have to give My heart’s desire is wholly this. Henceforth for thee to live to own no will but thine to suffer loss or shame all things to bear, if only I may glorify Thy name Henceforth mine every power each day for thee to use my hands, my feet, my lips mine all as Thou, my Lord, shall choose. Dear Lord, my constant prayer is for increase of grace, that I by faith may walk with thee till I behold thy face in Luke 10:27, and he answering, said, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind and thy neighbor as thyself. Thank you, Sister Sarah.

God’s providences in our lives sometimes surprise and puzzle us. Why did God overrule that right, we ask. This is especially true if it seems like a setback or an obstacle in our lives. It seems to be a confusing or illogical turn of events when this happens to you. Remember what Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 55, 8 and 9 for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways, saith Jehovah.

For as the heavens are higher than earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. It’s very comforting to remember when we have times in our lives where the experiences seem inexplicable. But God’s hand is in everyone, and he’s doing something in your life that you may not appreciate that moment. But in the next hour or the next day or the next month or the next year, you will look back and you say, oh, I see what the Lord was doing then. Here’s another story to meditate upon Strange things that turn out quite beautiful Reading Number six is going to be done by brother Russ Martin.

It’s entitled Loss is Gain.

A sailor was the only survivor of an unfortunate foundering of a vessel near an unchartered and desolate island. The only way to reach the island was by swimming, but one had to be a very good and strong swimmer to reach the shore. All others, save this one sailor who attempted the swimming the distance swimming the distance, were lost on the island. From sticks, reeds, stones, etc. He built for himself a little shelter to protect him from the inclemencies of weather.

Much of his time was spent experimenting with the wild vegetation for food and in searching out the island for some other human beings in some way. He had gotten a little fire started to keep himself fairly comfortable when the nights were cold, but he had to keep it burning continuously. On first reaching the island, he had taken his wet shirt and fastened it to the top of the very tall tree atop a high, very high, in the hope that some vessel passing mind seeing it and come to rescue him. Day by day he kept searching all over the island. One morning as he climbed the hill, he saw a cloud of smoke rising heavenward.

He began to feel reasonably sure that this was evidence that there was another human on the island. Both his heart and his pace quickened, but upon reaching the top of the hill and looking down, he saw that it was his own little shack with all of his earthly belongings that burned away. Slowly and disappointedly, he wended his way back to the shoreline. There he sat down in the sand with his head in his hands. He gazed out upon the restless sea, wondering if it were not better for him to walk out into it to drown himself.

Surely this would end all of his misery. Suddenly he spied another column of smoke, but it was on the distant horizon. He watched it anxiously and hopefully, somewhat assured that it was a vessel come to rescue him. It was nearing the island, but suddenly it stopped in its approach and all his hopes again were shattered. However, in another moment he noticed that a small lifeboat was being put down alongside of the vessel and that a man in a rowboat was making for the shore where he stood.

The man in the boat ceased rowing and cupping his hands, shouted to the forlorn soldier, we saw your smoke signals and have come to rescue you. So too, the great salvation is not for us until all of our earthly hopes and ambitions have been completely abandoned for the greatest of all treasures, the great redemption in Christ Jesus.

Thank you, Brother Russ. Philippians 3:7 but what things were gained to me I counted for loss. The moment that that sailor saw his all of his earthly belongings go up in smoke, he thought, that’s it, and yet it was the means of his rescue. Brethren, if we strive to look at things from the divine perspective, new vistas open up and events in our life start to take on a special meaning.

Incidentally, going off script here a little bit, one of the things that I appreciated in Brother Tim’s talk when he was quoting from Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, that suffering ceases to be suffering when you attach meaning to it. I love that, and that really helps us to get the divine perspective on our suffering and our striving. We’re going to have another poem read now reading Number seven, and Brother Ernie Kinsley is going to read this. It’s entitled Keep Striving.

Keep striving, Keep striving. The winners are those who have striven and fought for the prize that no idler hath won. To the hands of the steadfast alone it is given and before it is gained There is work to be done. Keep climbing. The earnest and steadfast have scaled the height where the pathway was rough to the feet but the faint hearted faltered and faltering failed and sank down by the wayside in helpless defeat.

Keep hoping. The clouds hide the sun for a while or for a time but sooner or later they scatter and flee and the path glows like gold to the toilers who climb to the heights where men look over landscape and see Keep onward right on till the prize is attained Front the future with courage and obstacles fall by those and those only the victories gain who look not to self but to God above all.

We must keep striving. We must continue to put one spiritual foot in front of another and move forward. Paul cautioned us about looking back. Nobody looks back is worthy. Keep your eyes on the prize.

Keep your eyes on Jesus. Another feature of the Christlike character is trust. Trust is required whenever the Lord brings upon us an experience we don’t understand, which we just talked about. Those who are truly being crafted in the image of Christ will not only trust God by bearing up without murmuring, but even more will bear up with praise. Our reading number eight is going to be read by brother Peter Kirkham, entitled Praise and Trust.

Praise and Trust. Charles Wesley, who was the brother of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, found great outlet in the creation of hymns of praise. During his lifetime, he wrote 8,989 hymns, an average of 10 lines of verse every day for 50 years. He married Sally Gwynn in 1749, and the couple bore eight children, of whom only four survived. Charles, who wrote verse on nearly every occasion, penned these words when their son Isaac was afflicted with a fatal case of smallpox.

God of love, incline thine ear. Hear a cry of grief and fear. Hear an anxious parent’s cry, Help before my Isaac die.

Put of hymns of praise to God that our brother Charles Wesley did. He’ll one of the people I’m looking forward to seeing beyond the veil.

This little bit of four lines here was for his son Isaac. I don’t remember if Isaac survived or not, but at the time or shortly after the time that this was written, he penned another poem after the death of one of his children. This next poem, reading number nine, is going to be read by sister Lori Kirkham.

Wherefore should I make my moan now the darling child is dead. He to early rest is gone. He to paradise is fled. I shall go to him, but he never shall return to me.

God forbids his longer stay. God recalls the precious loan. God hath taken him away from my bosom to his own.

Surely what he wills is best happy in his will I rest faith, cries out. It is the Lord.

Let him do as seems him. Good be thy holy name adored. Take the gift a while bestowed.

Take the child no longer mine thine he is forever thine.

It’s really hard to imagine in such an emotional situation as having a child die that our dear brother Charles Wesley could pen this most beautiful praise of God. I remember hearing years ago a way to measure the emotional impact of death.

And it goes this way. When you lose a parent in death, you’ve lost your past.

When you lose a spouse in death you’ve lost your present. When you’ve lost a child, in death, you’ve lost your future. Kind of measures the impact of death within a family, doesn’t it? Charles Wesley also wrote a hymn that we sing all the time, a very familiar hymn, Love divine, hymn number 165. Let’s sing that together.

For you.

Sa.

O.

Change from glory into glory till we see thy.

Creation gives us the opportunity to be part of the saving of the whole world. We give up our lives, sacrificing our human hopes and dreams to work with Jesus in bringing mankind up the highway of holiness. We surrender earthly life to gain eternal life. In Matthew 16:24, Jesus said, For whosoever shall save his life shall lose it, and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it.

Our next reading, reading number 10, is entitled to give all is to gain all. Sister Cherelle Hagensek will read that for us, To give all is to gain all. During some recent researches among the ruins of Pompeii, the explorers turned up a find that told its own story. It was the body of a crippled boy. He was lame in his foot, and around the body there was a woman’s arm, a finely shaped, beautiful bejeweled arm.

The mute find told its simple story. The great stream of fire suddenly coming from the volcano, the crowd fleeing for life, the little cripple unable to get along fast enough. The woman’s heart touched, her arm thrown about the boy to aid his escape. Then the overtaking fire flood, and both lost. The arm that was stretched out to save another was preserved.

And only that all the rest of the brave rescuer’s body had gone. The saving part was saved. Only that merciful outstretched to save another was itself saved. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

Matthew 16:25 the ability of some to take a look at that and to take this beautiful story and a beautiful lesson from it. Tragedy of Pompeii and yet there is a beautiful story of sympathy, of help, even though it didn’t save the life at the moment, and yet it showed a heart that wanted to. The Christlike spirit of love impels us to desire to do God’s will. The overcoming Christian will resist distractions that take him or her away from spiritual activities.

One of the greatest distractions of this age is the Internet. With all of its blessings, it can be a terrible time waster. We must be careful not to allow it to become the dictator of our time. It is worth considering how we spend our most precious commodity, which is time. The Apostle Paul wrote In Ephesians, chapter 5, verses 14 through 17, wherefore he saith, awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

See then that ye work circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. This is interesting. Way back in the first century, the apostle Paul emphasized how important time redemption was, using the time of each of the consecrated back there in the first century for doing God’s will. No less so today.

Our next reading is from volume one. Brother Raphael will read for us reading number 11.

You have consecrated all your time, all your talents to the Lord. Now the question is, how much of it are you giving? Are you still willing, according to your covenant of consecration, to give up all? To give up your own plans and methods and the theories of yourselves and others to accept of God’s plan and way and time of doing his great work? Are you willing to do this at the cost of earthly friendship and social ties?

And are you willing to give up time for other things, for the investigation of these glorious themes so harcharing to the truly consecrated with certain knowledge that it will cost you this self denial if all is not consecrated. If you only half meant it when you gave it all to the Lord, then you will begrudge the time and effort needful to search his word as for his treasure to obtain thus the strength needful for all the trials of faith incident to the present the dawn of millennium above other types. It’s a serious question of self examination. You promised at your consecration to give up your all.

Are you fulfilling your promise? No one but yourself can answer that question. Which is why we all need to do self examination to see where we might be holding back just a little. Or maybe we see just a little bit more that we could give in the service of the Lord. The truth and the brethren being the school of Christ means that we are being taught to be patient, kind, empathetic and merciful.

And the suffering we endure should make us more understanding of the suffering of the world under sin. Our next reading, reading number 12, is entitled the Fellowship of Suffering. Sister Mabel Andrews will read that for us.

Suffering of faith, Fellowship of suffering. I believe it was Pastor Dolman whom I heard tell how he was sitting at his desk one day when he heard the door creak and Then suddenly there was a sharp cry of pain. Looking up, he saw his little daughter. Who had started to enter the room with her fingers had caught in the door. He jumped and calling the mother said, you better come and look after this little girl.

The mother came and taking the child said tenderly, does it hurt so dreadfully? Oh, it hurts, said the child. But the worst is that daddy didn’t even say, oh, someone who sighs for us, weeps with us, feels with us in our troubles. Remember what is said of the Lord in all afflictions he was afflicted.

Do you say, oh, when your brethren hurt their little fingers. Or have other obstacles and trials in their lives? That’s part of what sympathy and empathy is. By the way, the distinction between the two is. With empathy, you were feeling sympathy.

For one who has something that you went through with sympathy. You don’t necessarily. For example, if brother Tim broke his leg and I broke my leg, I could be very empathetic. I would understand exactly what he went through. If I never broke my leg, I could still be sympathetic.

Understanding that he’s in pain, Rebbe, and the love that should exist between us should make us deeply interested in the pain and suffering of each other, and to do all we can to help alleviate that pain and comfort our brethren. We have a fellowship of suffering, but it also must be a fellowship of consolation and comfort. Very important.

Next we’re going to sing another camp song, and you may remember that this was a Glen Campbell hit many years ago entitled Try a Little Kindness, and the young ones in camp always enjoy this. So let me see if I can pull this up here. Here we go.

If you see your brother see. Standing by the road. With a heavy load from the sea. Sea so.

And if you see your sister falling by the way.

Just stop and say you’re going the wrong way. You’ve got to try a little kindness. Yes, show a little kindness. Shine your light for everyone to see.

And if you try a little kindness. Then you’ll overlook the blindness. Of the narrow minded people. On their narrow minded people streets don’t walk around the town and out lend a helping hand instead of down.

And the kindness that you show every day. Will help someone along their way. You’ve got to try a little kindness. Yes, show a little kindness. Shine your light for everyone to see.

And if you try a little kindness. Then you’ll overlook the blindness of the narrow minded people on their narrow minded street.

That’s a happy song, isn’t it?

So, brethren, are you ready now to be used to bless Others now and then bless the whole world in the kingdom.

Our next reading reading number 13. Sister Dawn Koopa is going to read, and it’s entitled, oh, use me, Lord.

Lord, speak to me that I may speak in living echoes of thine tone as thou hast sought so let me seek Thine erring children Lost and lone oh, lead me, Lord, that I may lead the wandering and the wavering feet O, feed me, Lord, that I may feed Thy hungry ones with manna sweet O, strengthen me that while I stand firm on the rock and strong in thee I may stretch out a helping hand to wrestlers in the troubled sea oh, teach me, Lord, that I may teach the precious things Thou dost impart and wing my words that they may reach the hidden depths of many a heart oh, give thine own sweet rest to me that I may speak with soothing power A word in season A gift from thee to weary ones in needful hour oh, fill me with thy fullness, Lord until my very heart overflow in kindling thought and glowing word Thy love to tell Thy praise to show oh, use me, Lord Use even me Just as thou wilt and when and where until thy blessed face I see Thy rest, Thy joy, Thy glory share thank you, Sister Dawn. Let’s sing another camp song. This is camp song number 16.

This is my second favorite.

Save your more than light to us Please guide us on our way Trusting thee to every trial we hear thee as you say as my father has loved me so have I loved you Continue your ye in my love we dare not trust our faltering steps One moment from thy sight Comfort us again we need thy voice to be our guide as my father, so have I love you Continue ye in my love by this we have eternal life that we should love thine own Till we reach the promise time when we shall share Thy throne As my father hath loved me so have I loved you Continue ye in my love for unity and harmony we earnestly to strive But Satan tampers with our love to keep us from the prize as my father hath loved me so have I loved you continually in my love Blessed children of our God the time is short before our fellowship will draw to close as so the closing door as my father hath loved me so have I loved you Continue, my love Continue.

We got a bonus verse in there.

Brethren, our final reading for tonight will be from Sister Janice Kinsley, a reading from reprint 39 33.

As we grow in grace and knowledge, we are able more clearly day by day, year by year, to appreciate the fact that the whole world was born under sin, and our children of wrath, blinded by ignorance and superstition, mentally and physically unbalanced through the fall, and really in a terrible state, as the apostle declares a groaning creation. In proportion as we are able to take God’s standpoint in looking at the poor fallen world, we are able to sympathize with them, even as the Scriptures declare that God looked down and beheld the groans of the prisoners, prisoners of sin in captivity to death, going down to the tomb. Psalm 102, 1920. We realize that they were born in sin shapen and iniquity, that in sin their mothers conceived them that in addition to this their associations with evil have all tended to drag them downward and that furthermore Satan, the great adversary, a wily foe to our race, is continually exerting his powers to blind the minds of their understanding and to misrepresent the divine character and plan. With all this before our minds, what sympathy it gives us for our brothers according to the flesh.

Sinners, strangers, aliens, foreigners, yet redeemed, and in God’s gracious plan, en route for the glorious blessings of the millennial age. We say to ourselves, if God so loved these, if Christ died for them as well as for us, why should not we be very merciful, very compassionate, very sympathetic with them, and do all in our power to assist them out of darkness, into God’s marvelous light, out of the ways of sin, into the ways of righteousness, out of bondage to Satan, into the liberty wherewith God has made us free, in the liberty of the sons of God which he has promised shall be available to all peoples, kindreds, nations and tongues in the sweet by and by. Thank you, Sister Janice. I didn’t realize that I duplicated this. I read this earlier.

But that mistake may be overruling providence. The lesson here is to have great sympathy for the world.

Brethren, we trust that our meditations on being in the image of Christ would be a blessing to you tonight, each one of us. If we have the opportunity. Well, we should make the opportunity is do a self examination. How am I doing in cooperating with God’s training in putting into me the image of Christ? We need to think about that all the time because that is the way we can guarantee making our calling.

Election. Sure. You know, I know I look upon the audience here, you know, most of you I know very well. There’s a few that I’m just getting to know. But it’s thrilling to be associated with the people of God.

The people in whom I see Jesus repeated again and again and again. May the Lord bless you on your meditations on this further.

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